Afghanistan

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he has taken to ensure that the rights of Hazaras are fully protected during and after the withdrawal of British troops from Afghanistan.

Alistair Burt: The Afghan constitution makes clear provision for the equal rights of all Afghan citizens. We welcome the commitment of the Government of Afghanistan, reiterated at the Tokyo conference in July, to ensure that the human rights of all Afghan people are protected and promoted as enshrined in their constitution. The British Government will continue to press the Afghan Government on the need to ensure the equal rights of all of its citizens and to uphold international human rights obligations.

Burma

Meg Munn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has had with his EU counterparts on the European Common Position on Burma.

Hugo Swire: The European Common Position on Burma was discussed at ministerial level by the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) during the review of the EU sanctions on Burma in April of this year. I also discussed the EU position at the UN Friends of Burma/Myanmar, along with our European partners, in September in New York. Officials from member states regularly discuss the European Common Position on Burma during meetings of the EU's Political and Security Committee, the last such discussion being on 13 November.
	Officials from member states also discussed Burma intensively during negotiations leading to the UN General Assembly 3rd Committee Resolution on human rights in Burma that was adopted by consensus on 26 November.

Embassies

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress he has made on plans to share embassies and missions with the Government of Canada.

Alistair Burt: The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right hon. Friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague) and Canadian Foreign Minister Baird signed a bilateral MOU on 24 September 2012, on “Enhancing Mutual Support on Missions Abroad”. It provides a framework for our missions overseas to co-operate more closely on a number of areas, including co-location, crisis response, security and consular co-operation, and in this way enables us to obtain maximum impact and value for money. It does not provide for the UK and Canada to establish joint embassies and missions. Senior Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials will meet later this month with their Canadian counterparts to agree how this closer relationship will work in practice. The Canadian embassy currently occupies space on a temporary basis in the British embassy in Burma; our ambassador in Mali is working out of the Canadian embassy, and our embassy in Haiti, which will be opened in spring 2013, will be co-located within the Canadian mission. We will continue to seek further opportunities to co-locate wherever it is of mutual benefit, following the principles of the memorandum of understanding between our Governments on this issue.

Pakistan

John Denham: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with his Pakistani counterparts on the treatment of Hazaras in Quetta and the surrounding region.

Alistair Burt: Our concerns about the treatment of the Hazara community in Pakistan are expressed in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office's Annual Human Rights Report and during the Adjournment debate I attended on 1 March 2012. The Minister of State, my noble Friend the right hon. Baroness Warsi discussed the treatment of religious minorities with Pakistani Ministers during her visit in November. The UK raised the importance of ensuring all minorities groups are able to vote freely in the upcoming elections at Pakistan's Universal Periodic Review at the UN in October 2012.

Palestinians

Andrew Percy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with the his counterpart in the Palestinian Authority on tackling incitement within the school system and in the Palestinian media.

Alistair Burt: The British Government strongly condemns the use of racist and hateful language. We deplore incitement on both sides of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, including any comments that could stir up hatred and prejudice in a region that needs a culture of peace and mutual respect.
	We raise instances of incitement with both the Palestinian Authority and Israel whenever we feel this appropriate. We await the US-funded comprehensive independent investigation into Palestinian and Israeli school textbooks, which is being conducted by a joint Israeli and Palestinian research team. We will be reviewing their findings and recommendations with our US and EU counterparts. Officials from the British Consulate General in Jerusalem have raised concerns with the head of the News Department at Palestine TV who stressed that they have strict instructions from the highest Palestinian authorities to prevent the broadcasting of any material that promotes incitement or hatred.

Palestinians

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps he plans to take to dissuade the Israeli Government from withholding tax and customs revenues from the Palestinian authority.

Alistair Burt: I summoned the Israeli ambassador to the UK to the Foreign and Commonwealth Office on 3 December, to underline the depth of our concerns about Israel's decision to build 3,000 new housing units in East Jerusalem and the west bank, to unfreeze planning in the area known as E1 and to withhold tax revenue from the Palestinian Authority. We have called on the Israeli Government to reverse these decisions.
	With regard to the decision on withholding of tax revenues, we have also underlined how counterproductive this is given the impact oh the Palestinian Authority's ability to function and provide security.

Panama

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will hold discussions with his Panamanian counterpart on the level of protection for indigenous peoples contained within the Panamanian Constitution.

Hugo Swire: We have regular discussions with Panama across a range of issues. During my visit to Panama in November, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Panama Deputy Foreign Minister that commits both governments to annual high level talks and will provide a framework for discussing a range of topics, including, as appropriate, Panama's indigenous population. Our embassy in Panama City will continue to monitor this and other issues in Panama.

Panama

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will meet with his Panamanian counterpart to discuss the treatment of the Ngöbe-Buglé indigenous group by the Panamanian Government.

Hugo Swire: We have regular discussions with Panama across a range of issues. During my visit to Panama in November, I signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Panama Deputy Foreign Minister that commits both governments to annual high level talks and will provide a framework for discussing a range of topics, including, as appropriate, indigenous groups in Panama such as the Ngöbe-Buglé. Our embassy in Panama City will continue to monitor this and other issues in Panama.

Private Military and Security Companies

Bob Russell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how much the Government has paid to armed security forces to provide security for British interests overseas in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

David Lidington: The Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) over the last five years has spent approximately the following amounts on centrally awarded private security company PSC) contracts:
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2008 52.5 
			 2009 49.5 
			 2010 41.6 
			 2011 50.4 
			 2012 48.9 
		
	
	These contracts have primarily focused on Afghanistan, Iraq and more recently Libya, Yemen and Somalia. These contracts are also widely used by our Partners Across Government, e.g. DFID etc.
	PSCs are contracted to carry out a variety of important activities and duties including the static protection of premises and the close protection of personnel. They play a vital and necessary protective role in hostile environments, and enable the Government and partner organisations to carry out their work in countries such as Afghanistan, Iraq and Libya by providing essential security services.

Russia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent discussions he has had with members of the Council of Europe on freedom of expression in Russia.

David Lidington: The new Russian laws passed in July which re-criminalise slander and increase regulation on the internet could threaten to further undermine the Russian people's right to legitimate freedom of expression. The Government is committed to supporting freedom of expression and will continue to encourage Russia to uphold its international human rights commitments. We do this by using our membership of international institutions; by lobbying for change on the ground, including by raising individual cases; and by publicly supporting those who seek to exercise their right to freedom of expression. In addition we fund projects in Russia that protect and promote the right to freedom of expression, such as one run by the Russian human rights NGO Agora which focuses on support of the legal security system for the internet.
	The Council of Europe Committee of Ministers' Deputies recently held an exchange of views on freedom of expression as part of a debate on a question from the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe on “Follow-up to the recent Pussy Riot judgements”.

Russia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Russian government on the continuing imprisonment of two members of the punk band, Pussy Riot.

David Lidington: We welcome the Moscow City Court decision to suspend the sentence of Yekaterina Samutsevich, but the upholding of two year sentences for Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Maria Alyokhina, which we judge to be wholly disproportionate, remains a concern. We are paying close attention to further developments and are prepared to raise any new concerns with the Russian Government, having already done so repeatedly at ministerial and official level.

Russia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Russian government on its Federal Law on Combating Extremist Activity.

David Lidington: The Government has set out its concerns on this legislation to the Russian authorities. The Venice Commission concluded that the Federal Law on Combating Extremist Activity of the Russian Federation, in particular the broad definition of “extremism”, is open to arbitrary interpretation. We value highly the work of the Venice Commission and consider that it has an important role to play in giving practical help to Governments in making progress on democracy and rule of law. We hope that the Russian Federation will closely study the Commission's opinion and address the issues highlighted in it.

Russia

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what assessment he has made of the Venice Commission's Opinion on the Federal Law on Combating Extremist Activity of the Russian Federation.

David Lidington: The Government has set out its concerns on this legislation to the Russian authorities. The Venice Commission concluded that the Federal Law on Combating Extremist Activity of the Russian Federation, in particular the broad definition of "extremism", is open to arbitrary interpretation. We value highly the work of the Venice Commission and consider that it has an important role to play in giving practical help to governments in making progress on democracy and rule of law. We hope that the Russian Federation will closely study the Commission's Opinion and address the issues highlighted in it.

Alcoholic Drinks: Prices

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the effect of a 45p per unit minimum price threshold on the quantity of alcohol consumed;
	(2)  what research her Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on the relationship between the price per unit of alcohol and the quantity of alcohol consumed in the last 12 months.

Jeremy Browne: The Government has assessed a range of evidence relating to minimum unit pricing and levels of alcohol consumption. This includes research undertaken by the university of Sheffield.
	To support the Government's consultation on minimum unit pricing, an impact assessment has recently been published which assesses the impact of a 45p minimum unit price on consumption levels and social harms.
	The Government will continue to review the evidence of minimum unit pricing during the consultation process and will update the impact assessment accordingly.

Asylum: Sudan

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what representations she has made or instructed to be made to prevent the use of torture on Sudanese asylum seekers removed from the UK; and if she will make a statement.

Mark Harper: holding answer 6 December 2012
	There have not been any specific representations made by the UK Border Agency to prevent the use of torture on Sudanese asylum seekers removed from the UK.
	The UK takes its international responsibilities seriously and fully complies with all of its obligations under the 1951 United Nations Convention Relating to the Status of Refugees and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).
	Before any action to return is taken, an asylum applicant's claim will be fully assessed to establish whether they qualify for international protection and whether it is safe for them to return to their country of origin.
	The UK Border Agency monitors the human rights situation in Sudan, taking into account information from a wide range of recognised and respected sources, including information from the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and key agencies involved with Sudan. This enables the Agency to provide guidance to decision makers on the risk on return to Sudan of failed asylum seekers. Up to date guidance on the country situation in Sudan for returnees was issued in June 2012.

Offences Against Children: Convictions

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many UK child sex offenders have been (a) investigated, (b) charged and (c) convicted in UK courts for sexual offences against children committed outside the UK since extra-territorial legislation came into force.

Jeremy Browne: Data held centrally in an aggregated format provides information on offences provided by the statutes under which proceedings are brought, but not all the specific circumstances of each case. It is not possible to identify separately from this centrally held information the jurisdiction in which offences have taken place, nor the nationality of each defendant. However, the police and CPS take very seriously their responsibility to protect children both at home and abroad, and work closely together to prosecute robustly cases using section 72 of the Sexual Offences Act 2003 where appropriate.

Senior Civil Servants

Luciana Berger: To ask the Prime Minister 
	(1)  how many candidates were put forward for his decision for the post of Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy and Climate Change after fair and open competition; and if he will seek their agreement to having their names published;
	(2)  on how many occasions he has declined to appoint the preferred candidate for the post of Permanent Secretary at the Department for Energy and Climate Change put forward by the appointment board.

David Cameron: As was the position under previous administrations, the Prime Minister of the day, as Minister for the Civil Service, approves all Permanent Secretary appointments and all new entrants to Director General posts within the senior civil service in England. It has not been the practice to publish details of internal deliberations.

Bill of Rights

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions she has had with the Human Rights Commission on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Secretary of State for Northern Ireland, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chipping Barnet (Mrs Villiers) met the Chief Commissioner and Director of the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission on 19 November. A range of issues were discussed relating to human rights in Northern Ireland and the work of the Commission.

Bill of Rights

Vernon Coaker: To ask the Secretary of State for Northern Ireland what recent discussions she has had with party leaders on a Bill of Rights for Northern Ireland; and if she will make a statement.

Michael Penning: The Government would like to see this issue resolved. However, it remains clear that there is currently no consensus among the political parties in Northern Ireland around prospects for a Bill of Rights. The previous administration also sought to make progress on this issue but was unable to resolve it over a period of 12 years following the Belfast Agreement.
	I intend to discuss the issue further with the political parties. I very much hope that they will work together to identify a mutually acceptable way forward.

Business: Scotland

John Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what steps his Department is taking to encourage banks to lend to small and medium-sized businesses in (a) Glasgow North West constituency, (b) Glasgow and (c) Scotland.

Michael Fallon: The Government has a range of measures in place to enable and encourage banks to lend to small and medium-sized businesses.
	The Government and the Bank of England have launched the Funding for Lending Scheme that allows banks and building societies to borrow at cheaper rates from the Bank of England for up to four years. This creates a strong incentive for the banks to increase lending to UK businesses by lowering interest rates and increasing access to credit.
	The Government backed Enterprise Finance Guarantee Scheme has enabled banks and other finance providers to lend to small and medium-sized businesses that lack adequate collateral or financial track record to secure a normal commercial loan.
	All of these measures are applicable across the whole of the United Kingdom.

Higher Education: Anti-Semitism

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills 
	(1)  what recent representations he has received on the incidence of anti-Semitism at universities; and if he will make a statement; [R]
	(2)  what recent reports he has received of the targeting by Islamic extremists of Israeli students at universities in (a) London, (b) Essex and (c) elsewhere in England; and if he will make a statement; [R]
	(3)  what steps he is taking to protect Jewish students from expressions of anti-Semitism while at university; and if he will make a statement. [R]

David Willetts: The Government abhors any form of racism. Anti-Semitism and intolerance have no place in our society and no place in higher education. Staff and students from all backgrounds, cultures and communities must be welcome in our higher education sector.
	I have received no recent representations about incidences of anti-Semitism at universities in England, or from the Union of Jewish Students, nor reports of incidents of Israeli students attending universities in London, Essex or elsewhere in England, being targeted by Islamic extremists.
	However, if any such incidents occur the Government expects universities to act swiftly to investigate and address them. The Government expects institutions to vigorously tackle intolerance on campus when it arises. Universities themselves hold the responsibility in this area and they have the tools to tackle intolerance.
	The UK has in place one of the strongest legislative frameworks to protect people from harassment and abuse, and specifically racial or religious persecution. This framework provides protection to the Jewish community alongside other ethnic and religious groups. It also provides protection on the grounds of nationality. As independent organisations, higher education institutions are directly accountable for compliance with the law and hold the primary responsibility for ensuring that their staff and students are not subject to threatening or abusive behaviour on campus.
	In addition to legal requirements, institutions have access to a range of practical guidance, developed by organisations such as the Equality Challenge Unit, Universities UK, and the National Union of Students for example, to help them ensure fair treatment of their staff and students, and to help them deal effectively with instances of intolerance, racism and harassment in their institutions. The sector's own guidance gives institutions a practical framework to apply to their own individual circumstances.
	I have met the Union of Jewish Students to discuss anti-Semitism in higher education and assured them that the Government continues to take this issue seriously, and expects universities to use the tools they have to tackle anti-Semitism.
	In my visit to Israel in 2011 I also was very clear that English universities remain welcoming places for students of all nationalities, and Britain is a place where Jewish students can study or research in a peaceful and safe manner.
	We have seen a fall in the number of anti-Semitic incidents in higher education, from 44 in 2010 to 27 in 2011, according the Community Security Trust. However, no incident is acceptable in higher education, or elsewhere.

Overseas Students: Israel

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Innovation and Skills what estimate he has made of the number of Israeli students in universities in England; what subjects such students are studying; what steps he (a) is taking and (b) plans to take in each of the next two years to promote such universities in Israel; and if he will make a statement. [R]

David Willetts: The latest available information on Israeli domiciled enrolments at English higher education institutions broken down by subject area is shown in the following table for the academic year 2010/11. Information for the 2011/12 academic year will become available from the Higher Education Statistics Agency in January 2013.
	
		
			 Israeli domiciled (1)  enrolmentsl (2)  by subject of study. English higher education institutions. Academic year 2010/11 
			 Subject area Enrolments 
			 Medicine and dentistry 10 
			 Subjects allied to medicine 25 
			 Biological sciences 40 
			 Veterinary science 0 
			 Agriculture and related subjects 0 
			 Physical sciences 25 
			 Mathematical sciences 5 
			 Computer science 10 
			 Engineering and technology 30 
			 Architecture, building and planning 10 
			 Total STEM 155 
			   
			 Social studies 85 
			 Law 45 
			 Business and administrative studies 85 
			 Mass communications and documentation 15 
			 Languages 15 
			 Historical and philosophical studies 25 
			 Creative arts and design 75 
			 Education 50 
			 Combined 5 
			 Total non-STEM 395 
			   
			 Total 545 
			 (1) Domicile refers to a students permanent or home address prior to entry of the course. (2) Covers students in all years of study. Notes: 1. Figures are based on a HESA standard registration population and have been rounded up or down to the nearest multiple of five, so components may not sum to totals. 2. Subject information is shown as Full Person Equivalents (FPEs) in the table. FPEs are derived by splitting student instances between the different subjects that make up their course aim. Source: Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) Student Record. 
		
	
	The Government promotes UK education through a range of channels, including the Education UK website, managed by the British Council
	www.educationuk.org/UK/A-UK-education
	Through ministerial engagement with our overseas counterparts the Government is supporting the UK HE sector to develop partnerships between UK and Israel.
	British Council strategy for higher education is to promote bilateral links, in particular in research and does not promote any UK university in particular. British Council have facilitated and supported visits for international officers from a few UK universities to scope potential links and partnerships and seeded links between Nottingham and the Technion, Southampton and Tel Aviv university.

Armed Forces: Sexual Offences

Madeleine Moon: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence how many allegations of (a) sexual assault and (b) rape have been made by (i) males against males, (ii) females against females, (iii) females against males and (iv) males against females in each branch of the armed forces in each year since 2000; how many such allegations have resulted in convictions; and if he will make a statement.

Mark Francois: I refer the hon. Member to the answer I gave on 30 November 2012, Official Report, column 555W. Data on allegations is not held in the format requested, and this further level of detail cannot therefore be provided.

UK Pension Schemes

Steve Brine: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the solvency II directive on UK pension schemes.

Richard Graham: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what assessment he has made of the potential effects of the solvency II directive on UK pension schemes.

Steve Webb: The European Commission's review of the Pensions Directive (Directive 2003/41/EC on Institutions for Occupational Retirement Provision) includes adapting the Solvency II Directive funding requirements for occupational pension schemes.
	I commissioned an impact assessment from the independent Pensions Regulator, which I published on the DWP website:
	http://statistics.dwp.gov.uk/asd/asd1/adhoc_analysis/2012/TPR_DM_n2273235_vR_UK_Impact_Assessment_Updated.pdf
	on 20 November 2012. This indicates that the likely outcome would be a cost to UK employers with defined benefit schemes of around £150 billion, and in a worst-case scenario, pension shortfalls could rise by as much as £400 billion.

Biocidal Products

Steven Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions whether copper or silver ionisation systems and their consumables and components can continue to be supplied, used and supported in the UK under any UK derogation from the draft biocides directive.

Mark Hoban: Yes they could, but currently there is no such derogation. The UK is currently planning to apply to the European Commission for an essential use derogation to allow continued supply and use of copper-based water disinfection systems. If granted, supply and use could continue for an interim period while those supplying such systems prepare their case to support their products under the biocides directive (98/8/EC).
	Silver doesn't require a derogation because it is already being supported by business through the directive's assessment process for safety and efficacy.

Employment and Support Allowance

Sheila Gilmore: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the average time taken is for his Department's decision makers to issue a decision to employment and support allowance claimants following receipt of advice from Atos Healthcare in the most recent period for which data is available.

Mark Hoban: The average time between the recommendation made by Atos Healthcare and decision reached by the Department's decision maker is three weeks. This refers to all initial decisions made on new employment and support allowance (ESA) claims since the introduction of ESA up to May 2012 (the latest data available).

Pensions

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will consider making mandatory new arrangements for money in small pension schemes to be cashed or transferred.

Steve Webb: When people move jobs, it is often the case that their accumulated pension saving remains in their former employers' schemes, while they begin saving afresh in their new employers' schemes. The Government intends to bring forward legislation which will require pension schemes and providers to transfer small dormant pension pots to the new employers' schemes, although the individual members will have the right to opt out of the process if they choose. We believe that this is more administratively efficient and encourages engagement with pension saving.

Personal Independence Payment

Bridget Phillipson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many veterans his Department estimates will see a reduction in their benefit entitlement following the introduction of personal independence payment.

Esther McVey: Currently, the Department only produces an estimate for the impact of the introduction of PIP at a caseload level; it is not possible to estimate the impact on specific groups such as service and ex service personnel.
	We do however recognise the unique and important role played by the UK armed forces. That is why the Prime Minister has announced (19 July) a simplification of the financial support available for members of the armed forces who have been seriously injured as a result of military service, this means that rather than face separate assessments, eligible individuals will receive AFIP on an on-going basis to help with the additional costs associated with their injuries.

Social Security Benefits

Andrew Smith: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 12 November 2012, Official Report, column 91W, on social security benefits, if he will publish the studies or research reports he has commissioned or considered on any problems caused in the present social security system by the need to adjust to a monthly frequency of payment for those entering employment.

Mark Hoban: The Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, my right hon. Friend the Member for Chingford and Woodford Green (Mr Duncan Smith), has not commissioned any studies or research reports on the problems caused in the present social security system by the need to adjust to monthly frequency of payment for those entering employment.
	A key aspect of universal credit is that it should mimic work and receipt of a salary. In order to help households understand what money they receive overall and how the work they do affects it, universal credit will be paid monthly. This reflects the fact that 75% of people are paid earnings monthly in arrears. Monthly payment of benefit will also prepare households for the reality of budgeting on a monthly income, will ease the transition into work, and will make it easier for households to take advantage of cheaper tariffs for essential costs such as utility bills.

Work Capability Assessment

David Ruffley: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many people in (a) Suffolk, (b) Norfolk and (c) Cambridgeshire have (i) undergone work capability assessments, (ii) been found capable of work following an assessment, (iii) appealed against their assessment and (iv) subsequently been successful in their appeals since the inception of work capability assessments; and what proportion of the caseload this represents in each such case.

Mark Hoban: Table 1 shows the number and proportion of work capability assessment (WCA) undertaken in Suffolk, Norfolk and Cambridgeshire for new employment and support allowance (ESA) claims started between October 2008 and February 2012 and incapacity benefit claims referred for reassessment until February 2012.
	
		
			 Table 1 
			 Area WCAs complete Fit for Work decisions 
			  Count Count Percentage 
			 Suffolk 22,900 9,100 40 
			 Norfolk 28,900 11,800 41 
			 Cambridgeshire 23,500 8,400 36 
			 Notes: 1. Figures include initial and repeat WCAs as well as incapacity benefit reassessment WCAs. 2. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	Table 2 shows the number and proportion of appeals against Fit for Work decisions following initial WCA for new ESA claims started between October 2008 and August 2011. These are the latest data available due to the time required for appeals to be heard. They do not include appeals against Work Related Activity Group decisions or appeals against repeat WCA outcomes or incapacity benefit reassessment WCAs.
	
		
			 Table 2 
			 Area Fit for work decisions Appeals heard against Fit for Work decisions DWP decision overturned 
			  Count Count Percentage Count Percentage of FfW 
			 Suffolk 3,700 1,700 47 600 16 
			 Norfolk 5,000 2,300 46 800 16 
			 Cambridgeshire 3,400 1,500 42 500 16 
			 Note: 1. Numbers are rounded to the nearest 100. 
		
	
	Information on the number of claimants making an appeal is not available until their appeal has been heard by Her Majesties Courts and Tribunals Service.

Work Programme

Stephen Timms: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions with reference to the finding of his recently published data on the Work programme that 30 recipients of employment and support allowance who formerly received incapacity benefit secured a job outcome in the first 14 months of the Work programme, what plans he has to make the Work programme more effective for that group of jobseekers.

Mark Hoban: The Work programme is designed to support participants, many of whom are a long way from the labour market, for up to two years and the recently published data only covers the job outcomes achieved in the first 14 months of the programme. Providers still have time to work with participants who formerly received incapacity benefit and are now receiving employment and support allowance. We are working closely with providers to ensure that they are developing plans for improving performance. Providers who do not improve can expect contractual action which can result in contract termination.

Employment Tribunals Service: Suffolk

Therese Coffey: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice how many employment tribunal cases have been brought against businesses in Suffolk Coastal constituency in each of the last five years.

Helen Grant: The Ministry of Justice publishes, annually and quarterly, Official Statistics on tribunal workloads, including data on national receipts and disposals in the employment tribunals system.
	This published data on new claim receipts for employment tribunals is not broken down by geographical locations. However, it is possible to interrogate Her Majesty's Courts and Tribunals Service's case management systems to produce management information on workloads by reference to, among other criteria, the postcodes of respondent employers in 'live' (or recently disposed of) employment tribunal proceedings.
	Save where an appeal to the Employment Appeal Tribunal is lodged, case records (including electronic case management entries) are archived a year after the point of disposal. Once archived, statistical data is retained but anonymised. Therefore, it is no longer possible to retrieve data by reference to party details, including address details of the respondent employers involved.
	Using management information for the last complete and available reporting period (November 2011 to June 2012), 110 claims were accepted by the Employment Tribunal Office in Bury St Edmunds (the office covering the geographical area in question) where the respondent employer's address was listed in the constituency of Suffolk Coastal.
	For the purposes of answering this question, we have assumed that the constituency is coterminous with the postcode districts IP5, IP10 to 13, IP15 to 18, IP19 and NR34. The following table shows the postcodes listed for the Suffolk Coastal constituency and the receipts of claims against business in each of these areas.
	
		
			 Table 1: Receipts of employment tribunal claims against business in the listed postcode areas for the Suffolk  C oastal constituency (November 2011 to June 2012) 
			 Postcodes Receipts 
			 IP5 15 
			 IP10 8 
			 IP11 30 
			 IP12 12 
			 IP13 <5 
			 IP15 <5 
			 IP16 <5 
			 IP17 <5 
			 IP18 <5 
			 IP19 5 
			 NR34 23 
			 Total 110 
			 Note: Figures in the table are rounded independently (values above 100 are rounded to the nearest 10, values below 100 are not rounded and values fewer than 5 (<5) are not reported to comply with data protection). 
		
	
	Management information for the remainder of the last available 12 month period (July, August and September 2012) cannot be released under Official Statistics protocols until data on 2012-13 Quarter 2 is published on 17 January 2013.

Electricity Generation

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Secretary of State for Energy and Climate Change what his timetable is for the administrative setting of a strike price for future low-carbon energy provision.

John Hayes: As set out by the Department in May of this year, I will set strike prices for renewables technologies in the Energy Market Reform (EMR) delivery plan, to be published in 2013. I will make an assessment of those strike prices on the basis of analysis received from the system operator and other relevant evidence, including a report of external scrutiny by a panel of technical experts. I will then publish a draft of the first delivery plan for consultation in July 2013, and a final delivery plan by the end of 2013, subject to Royal Assent on the Energy Bill, including initial strike prices for renewable technologies and the analysis that informed those decisions.
	Strike prices for any carbon capture and storage (CCS) projects supported under the CCS Commercialisation programme will be set during the course of the CCS competition.
	The Department is developing proposals on the price setting processes that will apply to CCS and nuclear projects that come forward after EMR is implemented. Further detail will be published in July 2013.

Audit Commission

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what estimate he has made of the cost of transferring some of the responsibilities of the Audit Commission to (a) the National Audit Office and (b) the Financial Reporting Council.

Brandon Lewis: As set out in the impact assessment published alongside the draft Local Audit Bill, the Government considers that the regulatory costs in the new framework will be no greater—and should be less—than those present in the current Audit Commission regime. Based on figures provided by the Audit Commission, we included in the impact assessment total regulatory costs of £4 million per annum in the final years of the residual Audit Commission. In the impact assessment we have split the £4 million equally between the National Audit Office, who will be setting the code of audit practice, and the Financial Reporting Council and professional bodies, who will be regulating and monitoring auditors. We will undertake more detailed work to publish an updated impact assessment alongside introduction of the final Bill.
	The National Audit Office estimates that each value for money study undertaken by them will cost roughly the same as it costs the Audit Commission (approx £300,000 each) and will cost a total of £1.8 million per annum. The new programme of value for money studies will be smaller in number and better targeted than the Audit Commission's has been—resulting in a saving of £3.2 million per year.
	I would add that the programme to end routine inspection and assessment, disband the Audit Commission and introduce a new local audit framework will save £650 million of taxpayers' money over the next five years.

Carbon Monoxide

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what steps his Department has taken to help local authorities use Decent Homes funding to tackle the problem of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Don Foster: To meet the decent homes standard a home should be free from serious hazards classified as category 1 under the Housing Health and Safety Rating System. The system explicitly addresses hazards resulting from carbon monoxide.
	The Government has allocated £1.6 billion to 45 local authorities, to enable them to bring 127,000 properties up to the decent homes standard by 2015.

Council Tax Benefits

Karen Buck: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many households in receipt of council tax benefit were (a) single people in employment, (b) a single person not in employment, (c) lone parents in employment, (d) lone parents not in employment, (e) couples without children with at least one person in work, (f) couples without children both in work, (g) couples with children with at least one person in work and (h) couples with children with both adults in work in the most recent period for which figures are available.

Steve Webb: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions.
	The economic status of all council tax benefit (CTB) recipients is not available. Information is available only for those recipients whose claim is not passported. A small proportion of the passported cases will be in part-time employment. Information on partner's employment status is not available.
	The available information is as follows:
	
		
			 Council tax benefit recipients by family type and employment status in GB: August 2012 
			 Family type Total Passported and non-passported, not in employment Non-passported, in employment 
			 All GB recipients 5,922,130 5,130,950 791,180 
			 Single, no child dependant 3,292,790 3,142,660 150,140 
			 Single with child dependant(s) 1,148,080 841,180 306,900 
			 Couple, no child dependant 886,880 826,000 60,890 
		
	
	
		
			 Couple with child dependant(s) 594,380 321,120 273,260 
			 Notes: 1. The data refers to benefit units, which may be a single person or a couple. 2. Recipients are as at the second Thursday of the month. 3. Council tax benefit figures exclude any extended payment cases. An extended payment is a payment that may be received for a further four weeks when they start working full time, work more hours or earn more money. 4. SHBE is a monthly electronic scan of claimant level data direct from local authority computer systems. It replaces quarterly. 5. Caseloads are rounded to the nearest 10. 6. Those people receiving council tax benefit in receipt of a non-passported benefit are recorded as being in employment if their local authority has recorded employment income from either the main claimant, or partner of claimant (if applicable). 7. A small proportion of the passported cases will be in part-time employment. Source: Single Housing Benefit Extract (SHBE).

Empty Property: Barrow and Furness

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many empty homes there are in Barrow and Furness constituency.

Mark Prisk: Data on empty homes can be found in live table 615 at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-dwelling-stock-including-vacants
	Data is collected at local authority district level and is not available by parliamentary constituency.

Housing: Cumbria

John Woodcock: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how many new homes were started in (a) Barrow and Furness constituency and (b) Cumbria in each quarter of the last five years.

Mark Prisk: Data on house building by local authority district and related county totals can be found in live table 253 at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/statistical-data-sets/live-tables-on-house-building
	Data is collected only at local authority district level and is not available by parliamentary constituency.

Land Use

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what proportion of land in England is developed, in the latest period for which figures are available.

Nicholas Boles: A survey last year by the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (‘Countryside Survey: Final Report—the new UK Land Cover Map’, July 2011) found that 8.9% of land in England was developed (defined as ‘built up and gardens’). This comprehensive report was based on satellite mapping, overlaid on Ordnance Survey maps. This cartography was jointly funded by Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Natural Environment Research Council and other state bodies. The final report was published in July 2011. The initial results were published in November 2008, and that document included a foreword by the right hon. Member, in his then capacity as Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, praising the “impressive undertaking” for its “hard scientific evidence”.
	I observe that the CPRE have disputed the 9% figures. However, their source cited in their press release of 28 November 2012 is ‘Barker Review of Land Use Planning interim report’. This was published in 2006. On closer inspection, this report actually stated that urban areas accounted for 8.3% of land use in England (‘Barker Review of Land Use Planning Interim Report—Analysis’, July 2006, Table 1.1). The final Barker report updated these figures to 8.9%; the Barker source for this was figures provided by ODPM Ministers on 13 January 2005, Official Report, column 583W. Those figures in turn were based on 2001 Urban Settlement statistics, which for now, remain the most recent figures, as they are derived from the last census.
	Chart 2 of the interim Barker report also provided a table on ‘Land use as a percentage of total area’. This was sourced in the report to the Generalised Land Use Database 2001. However, the Generalised Land Use Database 2001 estimated that 9.8% of land in England was developed, and 42% of that developed land was garden space. Notwithstanding, the ‘Countryside Survey’ is more accurate than the experimental Generalised Land Use Database (now discontinued); the latter was essentially based on Ordnance Survey data, where ‘Countryside Survey’ was based on Ordnance Survey data and bespoke satellite mapping.

Public Houses

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government what his policy is on restrictive covenants on public houses; and if he will make a statement.

Brandon Lewis: The Government aims in the new year to respond to its consultation on the use of restrictive covenants by pub companies when putting their pubs up for sale, and whether their use had a negative impact upon communities.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government how much direct funding his Department provided to each voluntary and community organisation it funded in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; how much such funding he expects to provide in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15; and if he will make a statement.

Don Foster: My Department publishes a list of voluntary and community service organisations that are granted funded under section 70 of the Charities Act each year in its annual report and accounts, which is available on my Department's website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/annual-report-and-accounts-2011-to-2012
	My Department also provides a breakdown of all expenditure over £500 on a quarterly basis as part of our wider transparency agenda. This includes information on all grant payments made to voluntary and community organisations and is also freely available on the website:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-communities-and-local-government/series/dclg-spending-over-250
	We do not yet have information on how much funding we expect to provide to voluntary and community organisations in future years as final decisions on a number of programme budgets have not yet been taken.

Developing Countries: Poliomyelitis

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support she is providing to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative in (a) 2012-13, (b) 2013-14 and (c) 2014-15; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: The UK Government is strongly committed to polio eradication. The UK Government has disbursed £40 million to the Global Polio Eradication Initiative (GPEI) in the current 2012-13 financial year. As this is the final year of the current pledge we are now considering our support for future years.

Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development who the UK's preferred candidate was to be head of the Global Fund for HIV/AIDS, Malaria and Tuberculosis; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: The Global Fund Board established a rigorous, merit based process to identify a shortlist of applicants for the post of executive director of the fund. The board was delighted to have four very good candidates. It was a strong field and a difficult choice. At the fund's board meeting on 15 November the UK supported the selection of Dr Mark Dybul to take on the role early next year. Dr Dybul has our full support, and we look forward to working with him.

Mali

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development whether her Department has made a funding commitment for the African Union's Economic Community of West African States plan in northern Mali; and if she will make a statement.

Lynne Featherstone: The Department for International Development has not made a funding commitment for the African Union's Economic Community of West African States plan in northern Mali.
	The UK Government is considering what support to offer to Mali in addition to the humanitarian support already offered by my Department. In response to the United Nations Secretary-General's report on implementation of United Nations Security Council Resolution 2071, we are considering, with international partners, what further action is necessary and appropriate.

Rwanda

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what discussions she has had with representatives of the Rwandan government to encourage progress in tackling violence and supporting economic growth in Rwanda after the suspension of UK financial aid to that country.

Justine Greening: As my written ministerial statement of 30 November 2012, Official Report, column 38WS, sets out, the UK wants to continue with our long-term and successful development partnership with Rwanda, and to work with the Government of Rwanda to secure a peaceful resolution to the situation in eastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).
	I and my officials have held discussions with the Rwandan Minister of Finance and Economic Development and a range of Rwandan Government officials about the decision not to release £21 million in General Budget Support to Rwanda due to be paid in December, as well as encouraging progress in resolving the conflict in eastern DRC. These discussions will continue at all levels.

Sudan

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much aid her Department has given to Sudan in each of the last five years.

Lynne Featherstone: Details of the Department for International Development (DFID) aid expenditure in developing countries, including Sudan, are published in Statistics on International Development (SID) which is available in the Library of the House or online at:
	www.dfid.gov.uk
	The following table outlines the DFID spend on bilateral development and humanitarian programmes in Sudan from 2007 to 2011.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2007-08 134,666,000 
			 2008-09 105,787,000 
			 2009-10 145,578,000 
			 2010-11 128,206,000 
		
	
	South Sudan seceded from Sudan in July 2011 and the data above is from pre-secession. DFID's spend on bilateral development and humanitarian programmes for Sudan and South Sudan since secession is reported separately in SID. The following table outlines DFID spend for Sudan for 2011-12.
	
		
			  £ 
			 2011-12 £32,607,000

Surveys

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if she will place in the Library a copy of the results of her Department's most recent staff survey; which organisation carried out the survey; and what the cost of the survey was.

Alan Duncan: DFID participates in the annual cross-Government Civil Service People Survey co-ordinated by the Cabinet Office. The Cabinet Office owns and manages the supplier contract with ORC international. DFID will publish its 2012 Civil Service People Survey results on our external website by 31 January 2013. The final costs for 2012 are yet to be determined however we anticipate these to be similar to last year's costs of £22,077.

Children's Centres: Nottinghamshire

Gloria De Piero: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many Sure Start centres there were in Nottinghamshire in (a) May 2010 and (b) November 2012.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 30 November 2012
	The Sure Start-On database (populated by local authorities) currently shows that Nottinghamshire local authority has 58 Sure Start Children’s Centres. There has been no change in the number of centres since April 2010.

Education: Research

Stephen Twigg: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how much his Department has spent on education research in (a) May 2010 and (b) the last financial year for which data is available.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education spent £4.2 million on research and evaluation in May 2010 and £12.1 million in 2011-12 (the last financial year for which data is available).

Environment Protection: Curriculum

Joan Walley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the recommendation of the National Curriculum Review expert panel that environmental stewardship be introduced as one of the five main aims of the school curriculum; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  if he will make it his policy to include environmental stewardship in any future curriculum guidance issued as part of the English Baccalaureate reforms.

Elizabeth Truss: As part of the Government's response to the Expert Panel's report, the Secretary of State confirmed in June that we would seek to define the aims of the National Curriculum in consultation with the teaching profession. We intend to consult formally on the draft aims as part of the wider public consultation on the National Curriculum which will take place next year.
	It is important to distinguish between the statutory National Curriculum and the wider school curriculum. The school curriculum comprises all learning and other experiences that each school plans for its pupils. The Government is clear that it is for schools and teachers to develop a broad and balanced school curriculum which meets the needs of all pupils. We expect teachers to consider tackling issues of social and environmental importance, including environmental stewardship, as part of the wider school curriculum.
	We therefore want schools to make their own judgments on how sustainable development should be reflected in their ethos, day-to-day operations and school curriculum. To support schools, the Department published non-statutory guidance on practical ways for schools to become more sustainable in February this year. The guidance can be found here:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/leadership/schoolethos/a0070736/what-is-sustainable-development
	There are no plans to issue further guidance as part of Key Stage 4 qualification reform.

Financial Services: Education

Aidan Burley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education pursuant to the answer of 29 October 2012, Official Report, columns 14-15,to the hon. Member for North Swindon, on mathematics teaching, whether his Department has any plans to introduce financial education lessons as part of the national curriculum; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: The National Curriculum will raise expectations in relation to mathematics, including financial mathematics, through a renewed emphasis on arithmetic from early primary onwards. This will enable young people to leave school with the numeracy skills needed to manage their own personal finances.
	Finance education can also be taught as part of non-statutory Personal, Social, Health and Economic (PSHE) education. Pupils can be taught about basic money management; financial risk and reward; and the place and importance of financial skills in their later lives.
	The Government will be consulting on the new National Curriculum in the new year.

Foster Care: Housing Benefit

Lisa Nandy: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that directors of children's services are aware of the availability of discretionary housing payments to assist foster carers.

Edward Timpson: The discretionary housing payment (DHP) fund, administered by local authorities, will be increased by £5 million a year from April 2013. This will enable authorities to compensate foster carers whose housing benefit is subject to a restriction as a result of the size criteria measure being introduced for working age claimants living in the social rented sector.
	The Department for Work and Pension's DHP guidance manual for local authorities is being revised. It will make clear the expectation that this additional funding will be prioritised for foster carers whose housing benefit is reduced as a result of this change because of a bedroom being used by, or kept free for, foster children.
	I am meeting the Minister for Welfare Reform early in the new year to discuss what more needs to be done to ensure that local authority chief executives, directors of children's services and local housing authorities are aware that funds are available to assist foster cares, and to encourage them to use this support as effectively as possible to help meet their responsibility as corporate parents to see that vulnerable looked after children have access to loving, stable homes.

Grandparents: Custody

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what rights grandparents have to access grandchildren.

Edward Timpson: While there is no automatic right for grandparents to have contact with their grandchildren, grandparents may apply for contact through the courts. The court will take into account all the circumstances of each individual case and will make a contact order if it decides that it is in the child's best interests to have contact with the applicant. The Children Act 1989 requires that the court's paramount consideration must be the welfare of the child when making decisions.
	The Family Justice Review panel did not recommend changing the law with regard to grandparents and child contact. The panel found that grandparents are unlikely to lose contact with a grandchild if they had meaningful contact while the child's parents were still in a relationship, and if they resist taking sides after the separation. The Government accepted the panel's conclusions and recommendations in this area.
	The Government intends to bring forward legislation and a number of non-legislative measures to support separating families to resolve their disputes outside of court where appropriate and to reinforce the importance of ongoing relationships with both parents as well as their wider family, including grandparents. For example, children's relationships with family members who are important to them will feature prominently in the creation of parenting agreements and parenting programmes.

Pupil Exclusions

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of 
	(1)  secondary school pupils were given a (a) permanent and (b) fixed-term exclusion in each local authority in each year since 2010, by reason for exclusion;
	(2)  primary school pupils were given a (a) permanent and (b) fixed-term exclusion in each local authority in each year since 2010, by reason for exclusion.

Elizabeth Truss: The latest available information, for 2010/11, has been placed in the House Libraries.
	Data on exclusions in 2010/11 is published in the “Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2010/11” Statistical First Release on 25 July 2012 at;
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001080/index.shtml

Pupil Exclusions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many and what proportion of children in each local authority who were permanently excluded from school were found places in (a) another mainstream school, (b) a special school and (c) a pupil referral unit in each of the last five years for which figures are available

Elizabeth Truss: Information on where pupils are placed following an exclusion is not collected centrally.
	The latest data on exclusions, by local authority, was published in the "Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2010/11" Statistical First Release on 25 July 2012 at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001080/index.shtml

Pupil Exclusions

Helen Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what research he has commissioned into why children in receipt of free school meals are disproportionately represented amongst pupils permanently excluded from school; and if he will make a statement.

David Laws: The Department has not commissioned specific research into this matter. The Government is however conducting a major trial of a new approach to exclusion, which encourages early intervention and gives schools increased responsibility for excluded pupils and those at risk of exclusion. An independent evaluation of the trial will look in detail at the impact of the trial approach on pupils vulnerable to exclusion, including those entitled to free school meals.
	Disadvantage is associated with a range of negative educational outcomes. In 2010/11, pupils eligible for free school meals accounted for over 40% of permanent exclusions and almost 40% of fixed period exclusions. Through the Pupil Premium, the Government is investing £1.25 billion in 2012-13 rising to £1.875 billion in 2013-14, to enable schools to support their disadvantaged pupils. Head teachers can use this funding to tackle underlying issues that could increase the risk of exclusion and can, where appropriate, use the additional resource to support specific early intervention to address pupils' behavioural needs.

Pupils: Smoking

Andrew Stephenson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education 
	(1)  if he will estimate the incidence of underage smoking on school premises in each of the last three school years; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  whether his Department provides funding for anti-smoking initiatives in schools;
	(3)  what his Department is doing to (a) identify, (b) prevent and (c) raise awareness of the dangers of underage smoking on school premises; and if he will make a statement;
	(4)  if he will estimate the (a) number and (b) proportion of school-age children in (i) Lancashire, (ii) the North West and (iii) the UK who smoke.

Elizabeth Truss: How schools choose to address issues regarding smoking is a local decision and the Department for Education does not provide specific funding for anti-smoking initiatives. Pupils are taught about the effects of tobacco on health as part of the national curriculum for science. In addition, teachers can cover the facts about, and consequences of, smoking in non-statutory personal, social, health and economic (PSHE) education.
	The 2011 “Smoking, drinking and drug use among young people in England” survey found that a quarter of 11 to 15-year-olds had smoked at least once, the lowest proportion since the survey began in 1982. In 2011, 5% of pupils smoked at least one cigarette a week, half the level of 2001.
	Regional data for the incidence of smoking for pupils in Lancashire is not available. However, data for the North West region is available from the above survey programme. 5% of pupils in the North West smoked at least one cigarette a week in 2011. The Department does not collect statistics on the incidence of smoking on school premises.

Schools: Food

Roberta Blackman-Woods: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many (a) civil servants and (b) external consultants in his Department are currently employed on the School Food Plan.

Elizabeth Truss: The Department for Education currently employs the equivalent of 5.05 full time civil servants on the School Food Plan, at a range of grades. This team reports to a senior civil servant responsible for curriculum policy. In addition the team will, from time to time, draw on advice from other teams in the Department. It is not possible to give an accurate figure for this. Also supporting the School Food Plan is a team of external consultants. These have been engaged directly by the independent reviewers with support from charitable trusts. They are not employed or paid by the Department in any way.

Schools: Uniforms

Gavin Shuker: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent estimate he has made of the proportion of school age pupils who receive financial assistance to help towards the cost of school uniforms.

David Laws: The Department had made no estimate of the proportion of school age pupils who receive financial assistance to help towards the cost of school uniforms. The School Admissions Code places a statutory duty on all governing bodies to ensure that their policies and practices, including their uniforms, do not disadvantage any children. In deciding the design of its school uniform, the Department expects the school governing body to give high priority to cost considerations. No school uniform should be so expensive as to leave pupils or their families feeling unable to apply to, or attend a school of their choice, due to the cost of the uniform. Local authorities have a discretionary power to provide school clothing grants or to help with the cost of school clothing in cases of financial hardship.

Special Educational Needs

Graeme Morrice: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what steps he is taking to ensure that there is strong local accountability for services provided under the local offer.

Edward Timpson: The draft legislation, 'Reform of provision for children and young people with Special Educational Needs' published in September 2012, sets out proposals for England requiring local authorities to publish a local offer of services for children and young people with special educational needs. The local offer would set out what families can expect from local services across education, health and social care and the eligibility criteria for accessing those services where appropriate. Local authorities would be required to involve local children, young people and families in developing their local offer to take account of their needs and aspirations. Each service would be accountable for delivering what is set out in the local offer and if families are unhappy with what they receive or what is available they would be able to take this up with those services. The local offer would give details of how to complain about provision and about rights of appeal.
	The draft special educational needs provisions are being scrutinised by the Education Select Committee. The Government will give careful consideration to the Committee's report when framing the legislation for introduction to Parliament.

Teachers: Crimes of Violence

Charlotte Leslie: To ask the Secretary of State for Education how many recorded incidents of 
	(1)  secondary school teachers being assaulted by pupils there were in each local authority in each year since 2005, by type of school;
	(2)  primary school teachers being assaulted by pupils there were in each local authority in each year since 2005, by type of school.

Elizabeth Truss: Information is not available in the form requested.
	The Department collects information on the reasons pupils are excluded from school. This includes data on exclusions classified as relating to physical assault, verbal abuse or threatening behaviour against an adult, but not specifically against teachers or school staff.
	Information on the number of permanent and fixed period exclusions classified as relating to physical assault against an adult for 2006/07, 2008/09 and 2010/11 (the latest year available) has been placed in the House Libraries. The provision of further data would incur disproportionate cost.
	Any violence against school staff is totally unacceptable. It is for head teachers to consider whether a particular case warrants a pupil being given a fixed-period exclusion, a permanent exclusion or other disciplinary penalty, taking account of the severity and circumstances of the assault.
	The latest available data on exclusions was published in the Statistical First Release 'Permanent and Fixed Period Exclusions from Schools in England 2010/11' on 25 July 2012 at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/rsgateway/DB/SFR/s001080/index.shtml

Teachers: Males

Andrew Griffiths: To ask the Secretary of State for Education which secondary schools which were not girls' schools had fewer than 10 per cent qualified full-time male teachers in the most recent year for which figures are available.

Elizabeth Truss: In November 2011 there were five publicly-funded secondary schools (excluding all girls' secondary schools), that had fewer than 10% qualified full-time male teachers. These are as follows:
	
		
			 Establishment Local authority area 
			 The Bourne Academy Bournemouth 
			 Bilbrook C of E (C) Middle School Staffordshire 
			 Hartford High School—A specialist languages and sports college Cheshire West and Chester 
			 Bedlingtonshire Junior High School Northumberland 
			 St Peter's RC Middle School Northumberland 
		
	
	This information is from the School Workforce Census, the Department's main source of data on school staff, and includes three middle deemed secondary schools.

Truancy

Tobias Ellwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education what recent assessment he has made of the powers available to schools to deal with parents who regularly keep their children out of school for prolonged periods; and if he will make a statement.

Elizabeth Truss: holding answer 3 December 2012
	In 2011, the then Government expert adviser on behaviour, Charlie Taylor, conducted a review into improving school attendance, and the effectiveness of sanctions to address poor attendance. The report was published on 16 April 2012. The Government accepted the majority of Charlie Taylor's recommendations in full, and is in the process of implementing them. The Government agreed with Charlie Taylor that the penalty notice regime needed reforming to be swift and certain, and is considering his recommendation to recoup unpaid fines from child benefit. The report can be found at:
	http://www.education.gov.uk/schools/pupilsupport/behaviour

Lord Lieutenants

Kevan Jones: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister pursuant to the answer of 26 November 2012, Official Report, column 86W, on lord lieutenants, what the annual running costs of the office of the clerk to the lord lieutenant of County Durham was in each of the last five years.

Chloe Smith: The question is unclear. General running costs for the office of the lord lieutenant in each of the last five years, is set out as follows:
	
		
			  Annual running costs (£) 
			 2007-08 9,070.00 
			 2008-09 5,335.00 
			 2009-10 3,986.00 
			 2010-11 4,006.00 
			 2011-12 4,226.00

Brain: Tumours

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much his Department plans to have spent on research into treatment for secondary brain tumours between May 2010 and May 2015.

Daniel Poulter: Expenditure by the Department on brain cancer research through research programmes, research centres and units, and research training awards is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  £ million 
			 2010-11 0.9 
			 2011-12 0.7 
		
	
	Some of this research has relevance to treatment for secondary brain tumours, the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Oxford Biomedical Research Centre has supported recent research on molecular magnetic resonance imaging to enable early and sensitive detection of brain metastases.
	In addition, the NIHR Clinical Research Network (CRN) is currently hosting 25 trials and other well-designed studies in cancers of the brain and nervous system that are in set-up or recruiting patients. Details can be found .on the UK CRN portfolio database at:
	http://public.ukcrn.org.uk/search
	Data for spend on brain cancer research through the CRN cannot be disaggregated from total CRN expenditure.
	Expenditure in the next three years on research into treatment for secondary brain tumours will depend on the volume and quality of scientific activity. The usual practice of the Department's National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) is not to ring-fence funds for expenditure on particular topics: research proposals in all areas compete for the funding available. The NIHR welcomes funding applications for research into any aspect of human health; including brain cancer. These applications are subject to peer review and judged in open competition; with awards being made on the basis of the scientific quality of the proposals made.

Drugs: Industry

David Davis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what plans he has to promote transparency within the pharmaceutical industry.

Norman Lamb: We are clear that there needs to be more transparency in clinical trials data and we are committed to ensuring that happens. The Government supports the work of the European Medicine Agency on this matter and there will be a legal requirement to publish summary reports from clinical trials from next year.

Health Services: Weather

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  if he will make an assessment of the Spread the Warmth campaign by Age UK when developing policy to protect those at risk from cold weather in winter 2012-13;
	(2)  what steps his Department is taking to protect elderly people from illness or death as a result of cold weather in winter 2012-13;
	(3)  what assessment he has made of the adequacy of public health provision for dealing with illness or death as a result of cold weather in winter 2012-13.

Anna Soubry: The first ever, national Cold Weather Plan for England, was published in November 2011. It was part of a range of measures the Department has taken to support the national health service in preparing for winter, and to prevent excess winter deaths. The 2012 Cold Weather Plan was published on 26 October 2012.
	The plan set out a series of clear actions to minimise the health impact of severe winter weather, to be taken by the NHS, social care and other public agencies and advice for people who interact with those most at risk from cold weather.
	The Department continually examines all policies and looks at the effectiveness and success of the Cold Weather Plan, including the Warm Homes Healthy People fund, as part of that process. A series of evaluations were used to inform the plan and the Warm Homes Healthy People fund for this coming winter.
	The Department of Health Policy Research Programme has commissioned an independent evaluation of the implementation and health related impacts of the plan by the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. This study is scheduled to run from autumn 2012 to autumn 2013 and should support the future development of the Cold Weather Plan. A referral to the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) to produce public health guidance on the reduction of excess winter deaths was also made earlier this year, and it is anticipated that NICE will commence this work sometime in 2013, and that this work will take about 18 months to complete.
	To support the aims of the Cold Weather Plan, the Department established the Warm Homes, Healthy People fund of £20 million for winter 2012-13. This is an initiative to support local authorities and their partners in reducing deaths and poor health due to cold housing and builds on a similar initiative from the previous year. The Department invited bids from top-tier local authorities for innovative local proposals for the fund, with the aim of reducing death and morbidity due to cold housing in winter 2012-13. The results of this bidding process were announced to Parliament via a written ministerial statement on the 22 November 2012, Official Report, column 39WS. The Department has also made £1.5 million available to two national charities (Age UK and Foundations Independent Living Trust) to support work in this area as well.
	The Department has worked closely with Age UK in developing both the Cold Weather Plan and the Warm Homes initiative. Age UK has made clear in their WHHP proposal that the “Spread the Warmth” campaign will generate referrals through its national activity. We will ensure that we work with Age UK to draw out any lessons for the development of the Cold Weather Plan in future years.

Influenza: Vaccination

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the ratio is between people who receive the seasonal influenza vaccination and cases of influenza averted.

Anna Soubry: The ratio between the number of people vaccinated against influenza and the number of cases of influenza averted will vary from year to year depending on a number of factors including the degree of influenza activity, the matching between the vaccine-type strains and circulating influenza strains and the number of people vaccinated.
	An as yet unpublished study considered in 2012 by the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation, based on the epidemiology of influenza in England and Wales from 1995-06 to 2008-09, suggests that on average the current influenza vaccination programme might prevent around 1.5 million cases of influenza annually in England. However, there is large uncertainty each way in this estimate. The yearly number of cases prevented will also vary widely from year to year.
	The number of people vaccinated against influenza will also have varied over the period of this study. Estimates that are available for the number of people in the target groups (those aged 65 years and older and those under 65 years in clinical risk groups) that were vaccinated in England over the latter part of the period of this study (2005-06 to 2008-09) suggest the number vaccinated ranged between 8.1 and 8.6 million.
	Taken together, these estimates suggest that on average the ratio between the number of cases of influenza averted might be of the order of one case of influenza for around five vaccinated people, although there is much uncertainty in this estimate and the ratio will vary widely from year to year.

Knee Replacements: Greater London

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Health pursuant to the answer of 15 October 2012, Official Report, columns 156-8W, on knee replacements: Greater London, whether data on the (a) number of operations and (b) waiting times for patients attending north-west London hospitals to have a new knee fitted in 2011-12 is yet available; and if he will make a statement.

Anna Soubry: The information is not available in the format requested. The number of finished admissions episodes (FAEs) and mean and median time waited (days) for knee replacement procedures during 2011-12 at each acute hospital trust in north-west London is shown in the following table:
	
		
			 Name of trust Total FAEs Mean time waited Median time waited 
			 Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust 180 107.0 102 
			 Ealing Hospital NHS Trust 159 84.3 84 
			 Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust 274 164.5 167 
			 North West London Hospitals NHS Trust 331 132.5 144 
			 Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust 492 84.5 79 
			 Hillingdon Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust 233 87.0 90 
			 West Middlesex University Hospital NHS trust 149 98.6 92 
			 Notes: 1. A finished admission episode (FAE) is the first period of in-patient care under one consultant within one health care provider. FAEs are counted against the year in which the admission episode finishes. Admissions do not represent the number of in-patients, as a person may have more than one admission within the year. 2. Time waited (days) statistics from Hospital Episode Statistics (HES) are not the same as published Referral to Treatment (RTT) time waited statistics. HES provides counts an time waited for all patients between decision to admit and admission to hospital within a given period. Published RTT waiting statistics measure the time waited between referral and start of treatment. Source: Hospital Episode Statistics (HES), Health and Social Care Information Centre

NHS: Redundancy

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the cost to the public purse has been of staff redundancies in each primary care trust since May 2010.

Daniel Poulter: Management costs in primary care trusts (PCTs) and strategic health authorities (SHAs) increased by over £1 billion between 2002-03 and 2008-09. This is an increase of over 120%. The aim of the coalition government is to reduce administrative spending on the national health service by one-third by 2014-15. Every penny saved should be reinvested in front-line patient care.
	Information on redundancy payments is not available in the format requested. A table containing ”compulsory redundancies” and “other exits” for PCTs during 2010-11 and 2011-12 has been placed in the Library. The term “other exits” includes voluntary redundancies, early retirements, mutually agreed resignations (MARs), pay in lieu of notice (PILON) etc.
	The data is taken from the audited summarisation schedules of PCTs, from which the NHS (England) Summarised Accounts are prepared. The figures reported in the accounts represent the total resource cost of exit packages for staff leaving their organisation during the year. The expense associated with these departures may have been recognised in part or in full in a previous period.

Pay

Dominic Raab: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many employees in his Department were paid in excess of (a) £80,000 and (b) £100,000 in each of the last five years.

Daniel Poulter: Information about the number of civil servants who have salaries in excess of £80,000 and of £100,000 in each of the last five complete years is given in the following table:
	
		
			 As at 31 March Number of employees with full-time equivalent salary of £80,000 or more (including £100,000 or more) Number of employees with full-time equivalent salary of £100,000 or more 
			 2012 114 43 
			 2011 134 48 
			 2010 159 58 
			 2009 171 64 
			 2008 161 63 
		
	
	The data above refers to the basic salary paid to civil servants and does not include allowances, bonuses or overtime payments. The data include part-time civil servants whose full-time equivalent salary is in excess of £80,000.

Senior Civil Servants

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many senior civil servants in his Department left to take up jobs in the (a) for-profit and (b) not-for-profit healthcare sector in the last six months.

Daniel Poulter: All staff leaving the civil service are reminded that if they intend to take up an outside appointment or employment then the outside business rules must be considered. The approval process for applications under those rules differ depending, on the applicant's seniority. The rules continue to apply for two years after the last day of paid civil service employment.
	From June 2012 to date, four members of the senior civil service (SCS), have taken up appointments in the 'not-for-profit healthcare sector'. During the same period of time no members of the SCS took up appointments in the 'for-profit' healthcare sector.

Skin Cancer

Paul Beresford: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what steps he is taking to reduce the incidence of malignant melanoma; and what assessment he has made of the effectiveness of such steps;
	(2)  what steps he has taken to improve melanoma treatment and diagnosis (a) in general and (b) in parts of the country identified as high incidence areas.

Anna Soubry: ‘Referral for Suspected Cancer’, published by the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) in 2005, sets out best practice for clinicians on the referral of patients with symptoms of suspected cancer, including malignant melanoma. ‘Improving Outcomes for People with Skin Tumours, including Melanoma’ published by NICE in 2006 and updated in 2010, sets out best practice for clinicians in the diagnosis, treatment care and support of patients with skin cancer, including melanoma.
	We have made it clear that NICE guidance will continue to be a feature of all commissioned services in the reformed national health service.
	The Department has funded Cancer Research UK (CRUK), under the SunSmart banner, to run skin cancer prevention campaign activity. In 2012-13 the Department has built on the successes of previous years by continuing to target young people aged 16-24 with the key messages of the importance of avoiding sunburn and the dangers of sunbed use (especially by those under 18). Core activities have included disseminating SunSmart branded resources (leaflets and posters) and ensuring messages are promoted to the target audience at specific events.
	In summer 2012, CRUK ran a social media campaign to promote SunSmart messages funded by the Department. The Made in the Shade campaign aimed to reduce sunburn by encouraging young people to protect themselves from the sun. The effectiveness of the campaign is currently being assessed by CRUK.
	The Department also commissioned and launched a separate campaign, Rag It, to encourage young people to look out for each other while enjoying the sun. The campaign highlighted the dangers of ultraviolet exposure and skin cancer by asking sun seekers to “flag it” when a friend needs to cover up, apply some sunscreen or stay in the shade. The Flag It public relations activity launched in July and coverage included the Sky News Radio network, (covering more than 280 stations with a weekly audience of nearly 34 million), two pieces of national online coverage, 24 pieces of consumer coverage, 12 pieces of regional coverage including two front covers and achieved a total Twitter reach of 885,179 users.
	The Department also funded CRUK to produce an educational campaign to help general practitioners (GPs) identify red-flag skin cancer symptoms. This included a GP Skin Cancer Toolkit that was launched on 29 June and promoted via doctors.net as part of an education campaign. Plans are under way to evaluate the impact of the toolkit to assess any increases in GP knowledge, the appropriateness of referrals into secondary care, as well as assessing pre/post referral accuracy into dermatology services over a calendar year.
	The Department has also funded CRUK to undertake a targeted direct mail campaign in Greater Manchester aimed at 10,000 men over 50 and 10,000 women as influencers of men over 50. The campaign will be evaluated to see which has the most positive effect on patient presentations with skin cancer concerns.
	The Sunbeds (Regulation) Act came into force in April 2011. The Act makes it an offence for sunbed businesses in England and Wales to permit people under 18 years to use sunbeds on their commercial premises. The Department has provided guidance for local authorities on the implementation of the Act, and accompanying information for sunbed businesses.

Transplant Surgery: Liver Diseases

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the average waiting time for liver transplant operations in (a) Denton and Reddish constituency and (b) the Greater Manchester area was in the latest period for which figures are available; and what the equivalent time was in (i) 2008, (ii) 2009, (iii) 2010 and (iv) 2011.

Anna Soubry: The information requested is shown in the following table.
	Waiting time statistics for transplant of individual organs are collected on a transplant centre basis, it is therefore not possible to separate out data for the Denton and Reddish constituency. The transplant centres serving the Denton and Reddish and the Greater Manchester area for liver transplants is St James' University Hospital (Leeds) and Leeds General Infirmary.
	
		
			 Average waiting time for first adult (1)  elective registrations for liver transplants between 1 April 2005 and 31 March 2012 
			 Period (2) Number of patients Average (3)  wait time (days) 
			 April 2005 to March 2008 250 204 
			 April 2006 to March 2009 272 276 
			 April 2007 to March 2010 285 260 
			 April 2008 to March 2011 333 252 
			 April 2009 to March 2012 338 224 
			 (1) 17 years of age and over at the time of registration (2) Three year time periods are used to be in line with centre specific reports and to ensure that sufficient numbers of patients have received a transplant in order to calculate the average waiting times. (3) This is the median waiting time. Source: NHS Blood and Transplant

Social Security Benefits: Older People

Zac Goldsmith: To ask the Minister for the Cabinet Office what work his Department's behavioural insight team has (a) undertaken and (b) plans to undertake on encouraging elderly individuals to decide for themselves whether to receive those benefits for the elderly which are currently distributed automatically to all qualifying persons.

Oliver Letwin: The Behavioural Insights Team has not undertaken any specific projects in this area nor are there any current plans to do so in the future.

Cultural Education Review

Dan Jarvis: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport on what date she expects Cultural Education to be published.

Edward Vaizey: The Government expects to publish the National Plan for Cultural Education early next year. The Plan will provide a joint update from the Department for Education (DFE) and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) on progress since the publication of Darren Henley's review of cultural education. Darren Henley made recommendations on aspirations for pupils' school experiences of cultural activities, for better partnership working and information sharing, for the curriculum, recognition of success for schools and pupils, and better training for teachers and cultural practitioners. Initiatives already under way include a new National Youth Dance Company to be delivered by Sadler's Wells, and a new Museums and Schools programme to increase the number of high quality educational visits by schools to local museums.

Culture, Practices and Ethics of the Press Inquiry

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport if she will ensure that the views of regional and local newspaper editors will be included in the Government's consultations on the Leveson Report.

Edward Vaizey: We have acknowledged that regional and local newspapers form a vitally important part of the media in the UK by among other things, contributing to a healthy local democracy and holding local authorities to account. Government has included them in its discussions with industry following the publication of Lord Justice Leveson's Inquiry Report, and Lord Justice Leveson was himself careful to make a special point about the important contribution newspapers make to local communities. Government will of course continue to ensure that it takes their views into account.

Third Sector

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport how much direct funding her Department provided to each voluntary and community organisation it funded in (a) 2010-11 and (b) 2011-12; and how much such funding she expects to provide in (i) 2012-13, (ii) 2013-14 and (iii) 2014-15; and if she will make a statement.

Edward Vaizey: The Department for Culture, Media and Sport provides grants to a number of bodies, many of which then distribute this money to a second tier of organisations. Some of these second tier organisations may be voluntary and community organisations, however the Department does not record this information.

Internet

Andrew Gwynne: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport how much has been spent on (a) strategy and planning, (b) design and build, (c) hosting and infrastructure, (d) content provision and (e) testing and evaluation for his Department's websites in each of the last two years; and how much has been allocated for each such category of expenditure in 2012-13.

Norman Baker: Tables have been placed in the Libraries of the House showing how much has been spent on the Department for Transport's websites for the periods 2009-10, 2010-11 and 2011-12. The Department measured website costs during this period in line with the guidance issued by the then Central Office of Information, 'Measuring website costs' (TG128). Costs provided are total external costs and do not include internal staff costs.
	The Department is fully committed to the Government Digital Strategy and is in the process of moving its online content to GOV.UK. Departmental websites and content continue to be rationalised; the corporate website moved across to GOV.UK on 15 November 2012. As such funds for 2012-13 will have been allocated for continued maintenance taking into account future closure of websites and transition to GOV.UK.
	In 2011/12 the Department spent £5,896,785.77 in total on its websites. This compares with £7,709,981.75 in 2009/10.

Olympic Games 2012

Tessa Jowell: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what steps his Department is taking to safeguard the legacy of the London 2012 Olympics in the policy areas for which he is responsible; and what budget his Department has allocated for that purpose.

Stephen Hammond: £6.5 billion of public transport infrastructure and capacity enhancements completed in advance of the games are delivering a long-term legacy of better transport services, particularly in East London.
	Additionally, there are many softer legacy benefits from the games—for example in improved transport industry operating practices, partnership working, communication to businesses and the public on avoiding congestion 'hotspots' and alternatives to travel. The Department and transport industry partners are working together to capture and build on the transport successes seen as part of their normal business activities.

Railway Track

Tom Blenkinsop: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what estimate (a) Network Rail and (b) the Office of Rail Regulation have made of the number of cracked railway tracks in (i) 2010, (ii) 2011 and (iii) 2012 to date.

Simon Burns: This information is not held by the Department for Transport. Information about broken rails is available on Network Rail's website at
	http://www.networkrail.co.uk/searchresult.aspx?q=annual_returns
	The Rail Safety and Standards Board also publishes data on track defects in its annual safety reports along with monthly summary of safety reports containing broken rail figures, which is available on their website at
	http://www.rssb.co.uk/SPR/REPORTS/Pages/default.aspx

Railways: Passengers

Brian Binley: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport which (a) lines and (b) routes have the (i) highest and (ii) lowest ratios of passenger-to-seats on the national rail network; and if he will make a statement.

Simon Burns: The Department for Transport does not hold this information, although it does hold data from which it could be calculated. However, these data are commercially sensitive and cannot be released.
	The Department publishes statistics showing passenger numbers and crowding in a number of cities in England and Wales, based on passenger counts carried out by train operators. These statistics are available by city or London terminal. The following table shows the number of peak passengers on all routes into each city or London terminal expressed as a percentage of the number of standard class seats.
	
		
			 Peak standard class seating load factors (1)  on a typical autumn weekday on routes into London terminals and selected cities: 2011 
			 Percentage 
			  AM peak PM peak Both peaks 
			 London Waterloo 136 119 128 
			 London Fenchurch Street 119 106 112 
			 London Paddington 111 110 111 
			 London Bridge 119 98 108 
			 Moorgate (London) 114 100 107 
			 London Victoria 106 94 100 
			 London Euston 100 97 99 
			 London Blackfriars (via Elephant and Castle) 111 82 98 
			 London Liverpool Street 103 91 97 
			 Leeds 93 94 94 
			 London Marylebone 96 82 89 
			 Manchester 87 91 89 
			 London St. Pancras 95, 81 88 
			 Birmingham 83 87 85 
			 London King's Cross 85 81 83 
			 Bristol 68 87 77 
			 Liverpool 74 78 76 
			 Sheffield 64 84 74 
			 Cardiff 61 66 64 
			 Nottingham 60 65 62 
			 Leicester 53 64 58 
		
	
	
		
			 Newcastle 46 62 54 
			 (1 )Number of standard class passengers expressed as a percentage of the number of standard class seats. Passenger numbers are measured at a train's busiest point on arrival into or departure from the city. 
		
	
	These figures are based on the statistics published in “Rail passenger numbers and crowding on weekdays in major cities in England and Wales: 2011”, which can be found at the following link:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/rail-passenger-numbers-and-crowding-on-weekdays-in-major-cities-in-england-and-wales-2011
	Note that these figures are based on all routes into the city or London terminal, so do not reflect any differences that may exist between different routes into the same city or London terminal. As the figures are based on the number of standard class seats they do not take into account the availability of standing room on each route, which varies by type of rolling stock, with some commuter trains designed to have a large amount of standing space.

Roads: Accidents

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport 
	(1)  pursuant to the Answer of 29 November 2012, Official Report, column 357, on road deaths and injuries, what sanctions he will apply to those local authorities who exceed road casualty forecasts;
	(2)  when his Department's forecasts for casualty numbers for the period 2013 to 2030 will be published;
	(3)  what discussions (a) he and (b) his officials have had with the devolved Administrations over plans to publish road casualty forecasts;
	(4)  whether his Department's casualty number forecasts up to 2030 will be broken down by (a) region or (b) local authority;
	(5)  how his Department will forecast the number of casualties as a result of accidents on the roads.

Stephen Hammond: No sanctions are planned for local authorities who exceed road casualty forecasts. However, the Department intends to launch a road safety comparison website in the spring. The website will provide information on local highway authority performance that is easily accessible to citizens in a straightforward format, so that they are able to make their own assessment of performance. This will increase transparency and build capability to help citizens and communities solve problems in their area.
	Casualty reduction forecasts for killed and seriously injured were published in the Strategic Framework for Road Safety on 11 May 2011, following consultation with the devolved Administrations. My officials meet officials from the Scottish Executive and the National Assembly for Wales regularly.
	The forecasts have not been broken down by region or local authority and there is no intention to do so.
	Details of how the forecasts were established are in the Strategic Framework, which can be viewed online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/strategic-framework-for-road-safety

Roads: Accidents

Jim Fitzpatrick: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport pursuant to the oral answer of 29 November 2012, Official Report, column 357, on road deaths and injuries, what consideration he has given to the actions he will require, and of whom, if the level of road deaths and injuries is higher than forecast.

Stephen Hammond: Actions required to reduce the level of deaths and injuries and by whom are set out in Annex A to the Strategic Framework for Road Safety. It would not be surprising to see some fluctuations within the context of a long-term downward trend. We will monitor performance against the indicators in the Road Safety Outcomes Framework at Annex B to the Strategic Framework and keep actions under review. The outcomes framework can be viewed online at:
	https://www.gov.uk/government/organisations/department-for-transport/about/statistics

Severn River Crossing

Jessica Morden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what debts the Government will incur relating to the Severn river crossings after they have passed into Government ownership.

Stephen Hammond: After the end of the current concession there will remain an amount of government debt outstanding relating to the crossings. The exact amount of Government debt outstanding is still being worked through, but could be over £100 million. The Government has been clear that it will need to continue to toll after the current concession ends in order to recover costs incurred by UK taxpayers in relation to the crossings.

Transport

Richard Burden: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport if he will assess the implications for his policies of the conclusions of the RAC Foundation's report On the Move: Making sense of car and train travel trends in Britain; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Hammond: The report 'On the Move' includes some very useful insights into recent road travel behaviour and we warmly welcome its publication. We think that the findings are wholly consistent with our current policies. The report does demonstrate the significance of a wide range of factors, such as the impact of the decline in the use of company cars as well as the importance of different trends in different locations. We continuously review our assessment of the trends in transport demand and will be looking closely at how this report can add to our understanding.

Greenhouse Gas Emissions

Graham Stringer: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what the UK's policy will be on the discussions on the reduction in F gas emissions at the UN Doha Climate Change Conference.

Richard Benyon: The UK is supporting efforts at the UN Doha Climate Change Conference to secure a decision on the need for further international action to address the increasing global production and use of hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), the most commonly used F gases. The UK Government supports the use of the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer as the most suitable framework for further action on HFCs, to complement efforts under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change to minimise their emissions to the environment.

National Wildlife Crime Unit

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if he will guarantee funding for the National Wildlife Unit after March 2013.

Richard Benyon: The Government takes the matter of wildlife crime very seriously and appreciates the contribution made by the National Wildlife Crime Unit (NWCU) in tackling these crimes. Decisions on NWCU funding beyond 2012-13 will be taken as soon as possible.

Natural Capital Committee

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what key performance indicators he has set for the Natural Capital Committee; and what progress has been made against each such indicator.

Richard Benyon: The independent Natural Capital Committee (NCC) does not have a set of performance indicators. It has a remit to:
	To provide advice on when, where and how natural assets are being used unsustainably, for example, in a way that takes us beyond some acceptability limits or non linearity thresholds, or in a way that diminishes some measure of comprehensive wealth;
	To advise the Government on how it should prioritise action to protect and improve natural capital, so that public and private activity is focused where it will have greatest impact on improving wellbeing in our society. This will include advising the Government on tools and methodologies to ensure that the value of natural capital is fully taken into account in policy decisions and in economic planning;
	To advise the Government on research priorities to improve future advice and decisions on protecting and enhancing natural capital. The Committee's advice in this area will reflect consultations with the Research Councils and the academic community.
	Progress against each of these aspects of the remit will be recorded in the NCC's annual report.

Natural Resources

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what progress his Department has made on including natural capital in the UK Environmental Accounts.

Richard Benyon: DEFRA has a commitment to work with the Office for National Statistics (ONS) to include natural capital in the UK Environmental Accounts. DEFRA is already acting on this commitment by working in close partnership with ONS and is strongly committed to ensuring this happens quickly. Government understands that the ONS intends to publish a roadmap on their plans later this month.

Natural Resources

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what assessment he has made of natural capital assets in the UK; and which such assets are most important to (a) wellbeing and (b) the economy.

Richard Benyon: The evidence in the independent National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) report takes into account the economic, health and social benefits we get from nature. The Government is committed to adding to this knowledge base and is therefore supporting a two-year long follow-on phase of the UK NEA. The follow-on phase will further develop and promote the arguments the UK NEA put forward.
	We do not yet know which assets are most important to wellbeing or the economy. The Natural Capital Committee's State of Natural Capital report will combine science and economic evidence in a way that will better enable valuation of natural capital stocks and flows.

Natural Resources

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs whether the Natural Capital Committee has been asked to consider the efficiency and effectiveness of Government policies on natural capital.

Richard Benyon: The Natural Capital Committee remit covers the following three areas:
	To provide advice on when, where and how natural assets are being used unsustainably. For example, in a way that takes us beyond some acceptability limits or non linearity thresholds, or in a way that diminishes some measure of comprehensive wealth;
	To advise the Government on how it should prioritise action to protect and improve natural capital, so that public and private activity is focused where it will have greatest impact on improving wellbeing in our society. This will include advising the Government on tools and methodologies to ensure that the value of natural capital is fully taken into account in policy decisions and in economic planning;
	To advise the Government on research priorities to improve future advice and decisions on protecting and enhancing natural capital. The Committee's advice in this area will reflect consultations with the Research Councils and the academic community.
	The Committee may not:
	Perform a watchdog or advocacy role with respect to Government's policy decisions;
	Be policy prescriptive in its advice—unless requested by the Secretary of State for the Environment (or by the EA Committee via the Secretary of State); nor
	Make decisions on classifications or statistical standards.

Natural Resources

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many full-time equivalent members of staff in his Department have responsibility for assessing the state of natural capital assets for which his Department is responsible.

Richard Benyon: Core DEFRA has direct responsibility for only a limited amount of land, composed of old bovine tuberculosis burial sites. DEFRA contracts the management of this land out to the Wildlife Trusts.
	Partners in the wider DEFRA network such as The Royal Botanical Gardens at Kew, the Forestry Commission, the Environment Agency and Natural England are responsible other natural capital assets.

Natural Resources

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what key performance indicators he has set to ensure that the Government fulfils its commitment to fully include natural capital in the UK Environmental Accounts.

Richard Benyon: The Government will be monitoring progress in developing the accounts against the plans which the independent Office for National Statistics intends to publish in a roadmap later this month.

Banks

Steve Rotheram: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer how much is currently held in banks and corporate treasuries in Britain; and what the equivalent figure was in each of the previous seven financial years.

Sajid Javid: This information was published by the ONS on the 27 September 2012 in the UK Economic Accounts. This is available at:
	http://www.ons.gov.uk/ons/rel/naa1-rd/united-kingdom-economic-accounts/q2-2012/index.html
	In 2011-12 Private Non-Financial Corporations balance sheets held currency and deposits worth £723 billion and Monetary Financial Institutions balance sheets held currency and deposits worth £3,171 billion. These figures exclude debt and equity holdings.
	The equivalent figures for the previous seven financial years are included in the following table.
	
		
			 £ billion 
			  Private non-financial corporation's currency and deposits Monetary financial institutions currency and deposits 
			 2004-05 423 1,941 
			 2005-06 502 2,324 
			 2006-07 570 2,695 
			 2007-08 655 2,619 
			 2008-09 655 2,861 
			 2009-10 637 2,890 
			 2010-11 685 2,841 
			 2011-12 723 3,171

Credit: Interest Rates

Jim Cunningham: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what recent assessment his Department has made of the effect on vulnerable people of the practice of charging very high interest rates on payday loans;
	(2)  whether he plans to bring forward legislative proposals to restrict commercial interest rates; and if he will make a statement.

Jo Swinson: I have been asked to reply 
	on behalf of the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills.
	The Government is absolutely committed to ensuring that consumers, particularly those that are most vulnerable, are protected against bad practices. The Government has recently tabled an amendment to the Financial Services Bill which gives the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) a specific power to cap the total cost of credit, if it considers that it is consistent with its objectives (including the objective to protect consumers) to do so; this power complements wide-ranging powers in the Bill to impose restrictions on products. These powers will come into effect once the FCA takes over regulation of consumer credit in April 2014.
	However, any such intervention would be warranted only on the basis of evidence. That is why my Department commissioned comprehensive primary research from Bristol University into the potential impacts of a cap on the high cost credit markets. This includes consideration of the impact of the cost of credit in these markets on consumers. This is due to be published in the next few weeks and will inform our thinking on this important policy issue.

Defence: Innovation

Andrew Rosindell: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent assessment he has made of the significance of the (a) aerospace, (b) naval and (c) military ground vehicle industry in helping to re-balance the UK economy through innovation in the technology sector; and if he will make a statement.

Danny Alexander: The Government is committed to re-balancing the economy towards export- and investment-led growth. The Treasury keeps all sectors of the economy under review as part of the policy development process.
	The Government recognises the significant economic contribution the UK defence industry makes. It is an integral part of our advanced manufacturing base, generating over £35 billion per year to the UK economy. The UK is the world's second largest defence exporter and the UK remains committed to supporting defence exports.
	At the latest autumn statement the Chancellor announced £120 million for the two further rounds of the Advanced Manufacturing Supply Chain Initiative. In November 2012, the Government provided a £120 million boost to the UK Space Agency as part of a plan to increase the UK's contribution to European Space Agency programmes to an average of £240 million a year over the next five years. Budget 2012 announced £60 million of new funding for a Centre for Aerodynamics to support research and innovation in aerospace technology, including a £20 million programme, Building UK Leadership in Aerodynamics, to develop innovative strategic aerodynamic technologies.
	The Government published the “National Security Through Technology” White Paper (CM 8278) in February 2012. Its approach is to provide the right incentives to grow thriving, vibrant companies that can compete globally and supply the UK armed forces with the capabilities they require. The White Paper sets out a range of actions for Government, including sustaining investment in defence science and technology, encouraging small-and-medium sized enterprises to fulfil their potential, and increasing support to responsible defence exporters.
	The civil aerospace sector is one of the sectors in the Government's Industrial Strategy, which will be published in early 2013. The strategy is being developed in close collaboration with industry through the Aerospace Growth Partnership, with technology and innovation a key theme. It will set out how Government and industry working together can keep the UK at the top of Europe's aerospace industry; retain our position as the number two aerospace industry in the world and diversify our global customer base. Building on this successful approach, the Government is working with industry to develop a Defence Growth Partnership focused on identifying ways to remove barriers to growth and enhance the competitiveness of the UK defence sector.

Natural Resources

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will introduce a statutory requirement for companies to account for natural capital in their accounts.

Sajid Javid: The Government does not intend to introduce a statutory requirement for companies to account for natural capital in their accounts.

Natural Resources

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what assessment he has made of natural capital assets in the UK; and which such assets are most important to the economy.

Sajid Javid: The evidence in the independent National Ecosystem Assessment (NEA) report takes into account the economic, health and social benefits we get from nature. The Government is committed to adding to this knowledge base and is therefore supporting a two-year long follow-on phase of the UK NEA. The follow-on phase will further develop the evidence the UK NEA put forward.
	The Natural Capital Committee's State of Natural Capital report will combine science and economic evidence in a way that will better enable valuation of natural capital stocks and flows.

Natural Resources

Barry Gardiner: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer if he will establish an inter-departmental ministerial committee on natural capital to consider the state of the UK's natural capital assets and their effect on economic growth.

Sajid Javid: The Natural Capital Committee will provide expert advice to the Economic Affairs Cabinet Committee, via the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs. The Government does not intend to establish further ministerial committees on this issue.

Non-domestic Rates: Empty Property

Peter Aldous: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect on speculative commercial development of extending the Empty Property Rates exemption;
	(2)  what assessment he has made of the potential effect of increasing the exemption from Empty Property Rates on retail, office and industrial property.

David Gauke: The Chancellor announced in the autumn statement of 5 December 2012, Official Report, columns 871-82, that newly built commercial property completed between 1 October 2013 and 30 September 2016 will be exempt from empty property rates for 18 months, up to state aid de minimis limits. There will be a consultation in 2013 on the definition of 'new build'.
	Reducing the liability for empty property rates will incentivise some commercial property projects to go ahead that would not otherwise, helping to stimulate the construction industry.

Overseas Aid

Ivan Lewis: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  for the purposes of calculating the Government's commitment to spend 0.7 per cent of GNI on official development assistance (ODA), how many times since May 2010 projected GNI has been changed; and what the estimated cumulative impact is on the ODA budget between May 2010 and 2013;
	(2)  from which Departments' budgets he plans that the forecast decrease in official development assistance (ODA) will come; what the reduction in ODA spending will be (a) by Department and (b) by financial year; and what proportion of ODA reduction which will be absorbed by different Departments.

Danny Alexander: The Government set budgets at the 2010 spending review, to meet its commitment to spend 0.56% of gross national income (GNI) on Official Development Assistance (ODA) in 2011 and 2012 (calendar years) and 0.7% of GNI in 2013 (calendar year) and thereafter.
	The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) publishes independent economic and fiscal forecasts alongside the Budget and autumn statement each year, including forecasts for GNI.
	At autumn statement 2011 and 2012, the Government adjusted the budget allocation for the Department for International Development to reflect the OBR's revised GNI forecast. No changes were made to other Government Departments' budget allocations as a result of the OBR's revised gross national income forecast.
	The adjustments to ODA for each fiscal year from 2011-12 to 2014-15 are presented in the 2011 and 2012 autumn statement documents (Table 2.1 Autumn Statement Policy Decisions: “Official Development Assistance Adjusting to meet GNI Target”).
	The UK remains on track to be the first G8 country to spend 0.7% of gross national income on official development assistance in 2013.

PAYE

Stephen Timms: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer on what date he expects to start imposing penalties on employers failing to meet their obligations under the PAYE Real Time Information scheme; and if he will make a statement.

David Gauke: For the 2012-13 and 2013-14 tax years, employers who fail to meet their obligations to Real Time Information (RTI) returns on time will only receive a late filing penalty where their final return for the tax year is received after 19 May in the following tax year. This means they will be treated a similar way as under the provisions for traditional PAYE. HMRC expect to implement in-year-late filing penalties for RTI returns from April 2014.
	HMRC have recently published guidance about how late filing and other penalties will be applied for the 2012-13 and 2013-14 tax years on their website at:
	http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/news/payerti-payments.htm

Personal Income

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the income was at which (a) single people, (b) married couples and (c) couples with two children ceased to be net recipients from the state and became net contributors in each of the last five years; and what each such figure was as a proportion of the mean and median incomes in each such year.

David Gauke: The amount of tax paid by households and the amount of benefits received by households will vary greatly, depending on the individual characteristics and circumstances of the household. There is therefore no single point of income at which households begin to contribute more to the state than they receive from the state, and it would be misleading to present analysis which does this.
	The Office of National Statistics has produced some statistics on this in their publication ‘The Effects of Taxes and Benefits on Household Income, 2010/11’. These show income figures, cash benefit figures and direct tax figures across the income distribution by income quintile and income decile. These figures suggest that, on average, the top 60% of the income distribution pay more in income tax, NICs, council tax and indirect taxes than they receive in benefits. However, some households on lower incomes will still be net contributors to the state, and some households on higher incomes will still be net recipients from the state. These estimates are not split up into specific family types. This publication is based on the Living Costs and Food (LCF) survey and has most recently been published based on the 2010-11 LCF. Figures are not yet available for 2011-12 and 2012-13 but are available as far back as 1977.

Stocks and Shares

Chi Onwurah: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what steps he has taken to make initial public offerings more accessible to smaller companies.

Greg Clark: The Government is committed to improving Access to Finance in the current economic climate. For smaller companies making initial public offerings, the UK's Alternative Investment Market is already the largest and most successful junior market in the EU, providing an appropriate regulatory environment for smaller companies. Furthermore, the Government recently announced plans to create a new route to the UK IPO market for smaller high growth companies, featuring reformed rules on “Free Float” requirements. The London Stock Exchange will be developing over coming months the design of this new route to the market.

Tax Evasion

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what his policy is on rewarding whistleblowers in respect of information received in respect of tax evasion on offshore accounts.

David Gauke: HM Revenue & Customs are empowered to pay rewards by virtue of Section 26 of the Commissioners for Revenue and Customs Act 2005. These payments are discretionary and are not guaranteed.
	The Act states:
	“The commissioners may pay a reward to a person in return for a service which relates to a function of
	(a) The Commissioners, or
	(b) An officer of Revenue and Customs”

Taxation: Bingo

Cathy Jamieson: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what recent consideration he has given to reducing the rate of bingo duty to 15 per cent.

Sajid Javid: The Government keeps all taxes, including bingo duty, under review.

Welfare Tax Credits

Bob Ainsworth: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  what reports he has received of problems with the designated telephone lines that tax credit claimants are obliged to use to contact HM Revenue and Customs compliance officers working on the undisclosed partner project;
	(2)  how many claimants have had their tax credit entitlement incorrectly stopped or adjusted following an undisclosed partner intervention from HM Revenue and Customs in the latest period for which figures are available;
	(3)  what proportion of claimants have successfully appealed against a decision to stop or adjust their tax credit entitlement following an undisclosed partner intervention from HM Revenue and Customs in the latest period for which figures are available.

David Gauke: HM Revenue and Customs is aware that some customers have recently reported difficulty in calling some HM Revenue and Customs direct dial telephone numbers. HM Revenue and Customs are investigating these reports to better understand the cause and scale of any continuing issues so that they can be fixed.
	Information on the number of claimants who have had their tax credits entitlement incorrectly stopped or adjusted following an undisclosed partner intervention is not readily available and could be provided only at disproportionate cost.
	During the period December 2011 and October 2012, HMRC changed its decision to stop or adjust a tax credit entitlement following an undisclosed partner intervention in 581 cases—around 2%--as a result of a customer's request for reconsideration or formal appeal. In these cases, the decision was usually changed when further evidence was provided by the customer at the appeal stage that was not provided in response to HMRC's initial inquiries.